Di list of African players wey don stamp dia leg for England Premier League don dey long and illustrious.
From di time of Zimbabwe and Coventry City striker Peter Ndlovu for 1992, odas like Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Riyad Mahrez, Mohamed Salah and Yaya Toure don all leave dia mark.
Di 2023-24 Premier League season no go different weda you dey tok about popular names, new faces or players wey dey come back for more.
Before di new season, BBC Sport Africa don arrange six signings wey fit make ogbonge impacts for dia new clubs.
Andre Onana (Cameroon & Manchester United)
- International caps: 34
- Fee: £47.2m
- Contract length: Five years
Uefa Champions League finalist Onana just finish im transfer from Inter-Milan for July. Im don already earn hailing from manager Erik ten Hag afta im pre-season debut for Houston.
Di 27 year old go replace long term David De Gea as Manchester United first choice keeper and don already sabi ten Hag, sake of say e bin play for am for Ajax.
E say, “to join Manchester United na incredible honour. Dis na di start of new journey for me, with new teammates and new ambition to fight for.
“Manchester United don get long history for ogbonge goalkeepers and now I go give everitin wey go create my own legacy for di coming years.”
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African football sabi pesin Oluwashina Okeleji tell BBC Sport Africa say, Onana don get ogbonge journey from di Barcelona academy to Manchester through Netherlands and Italy.
Okeleji say “Onana dey more dan di normal ball playing modern goalkeeper. E dey used to success since im join Ajax for 2016 and dey carry dat winning mentality enta Old Trafford.
“Di world sabi all about Onana from European football but di Premier League go give am stage to cement im status as di continent finest keeper.”
For im kontri, Onana bin play for Cameroon win during dia Afcon third place play off win last year against Burkina Faso and even score own goal for di game.
Dem name am for di Indomitable Lions squad for di 2022 World Cup for Qatar wia e play for di opening match against Switzerland, but e go house afta disciplinary action sake of say im get kwanta wit head coach Rigobert Song.
Onana retire from international football for December 2022 but hint say im fit come back.
Nicolas Jackson (Senegal & Chelsea)
- International caps: 3
- Fee: Undisclosed, reportedly £32m
- Contract length: Eight years
As pesin wey dem born for di Gambia, Jackson almost join Bournemouth for £20.3m for January but di deal with Villareal bin no dey completed sake of fear ova im hamstring injury.
E continue and contribute to 12 goals for April and May as part of im bye-bye purple patch for di Spanish club wey lead am to move to London for June.
Di 22 year old wey dem dey call di Senegalese Neymar don impress Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino for pre-season but dem don warn am say e go need to improve im physical condition and adapt to di higher pace for England.
Okeleji say, “di Senegalese don cause Chelsea fans and social media admins to dey jolly to di Outkast tune Ms Jackson.
“Im ability to travel wit di ball for im leg na im make am complete im first full season as ogbonge footballer as im score 10 goals for im final 11 league appearances.
“Di fast Teranga Lion dey expected to thrive under manager like Pochettino because e bring different vibes to di Chelsea attack.”
Jackson bin dey named for di Senegal squad for di 2022 World Cup as im make im debut for dia opening match against di Netherlands.
Ola Aina (Nigeria & Nottingham Forest)
- International caps: 23
- Fee: Free
- Contract length: One year
London-born Aina spend eight years for Chelsea academy from 2007 and bin debut for di Premier League for 2016. But as im no get first-team opportunities, dem loan am give Hull City and then Torino wia im become regular for di Italian club and later join dem permanently for 2019.
At 26, e dey make im Premier League return from loan transfer to Fulham for 2020-21 and join Forest for July afta im release by Torino.
Aina, wey dey play full-back or wing-back, say “e dey exciting to dey back to dey play for Premier League. Na di best league for world and I always want to dey challenge myself.”
Okeleji explain say, “Aina enta Italy as curious pikin wey bin dey ginger to establish imself for Serie A but comot as mature defender wey get ogbonge international experience.
“Na different situation for am dis time for di Premier League, di hope now be say e go fit write successful tori with Forest.”
Aina rep England for youth level before im go play for Nigeria for 2017.
Benie Traore (Ivory Coast and Sheffield United)
- International caps: 0
- Fee: Undisclosed
- Contract length: Four years
20 year old Traore, wey be leading scorer for di Sweden top flight last season, bin sign new contract with Hacken for September but become a Blade for July.
Okeleji describe am as “likeable and shy individual with eye for goal.” E add say “those wey dey close to di Ivorian bin dey shock to see im switch enta Premier League happun quicker than dem bin expect.
“E come from di famous Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas and e take am less than three years to show imself for Sweden.
“E dey at home for calm and understanding environment. United and dia fans gatz give am time so e go fit adapt to di physicality wey dey di English game.”
Becos of di way Traore don rise for club scene, e neva even make full international debut as e bin only play once for di Ivory Coast Under-23s.
Marvelous Nakamba (Zimbabwe & Luton Town)
- International caps: 23
- Fee: Undisclosed
- Contract length: Three years
Nakamba, 29, no dey new to di Premier League as e bin don sign for Aston Villa from Club Brugge for 2019 and im show 58 times for di Villains.
But afta e bin impress wella, e come get knee injury for December 2021 wey pause im progress.
For di beginning of 2023, dem loan am give Luton wia im help with dia promotion by winning di Championship playo-offs wia im score for di penalty shootout win against Coventry City for di final for Wembley Stadium.
“I dey very excited to dey back home for Luton to fit continue my journey” na wetin Nakamba tok afta im join di Hatters for permanent basis for July.
“I bin dey welcomed as part of di family and dat na wetin push me to give everytin for dis club.”
Okeleji say fear bin start to dey say Nakamba go dey forgotten afta im drop one division. “Nakamba return enta di Premier League dey hailed all ova Zimbabwe,” e add.
“E dey adored and admired for house mostly because of im talent and im charity work. Nakamba sabi say im kontri pipo go siddon dey watch dia TV to see dia warrior dey do im tin with oda ogbonge global names.”
Nakamba bin make im senior debut for Zimbabwe for 2015.
Issa Kabore (Burkina Faso & Luton Town)
- International caps: 29
- Fee: Loan (from Manchester City)
- Contract length: One year
Kabore, 22, bin get high hopes say im go make im Premier League debut wen e sign for Manchester City for 2020 but dem loan am give back di Belgian club im from come, KV Mechelen. E also play for France with Troyes and Marseille before im join Luton for season-long deal for July.
Okeleji say, “Luton go give am ogbonge chance to impress im parent club. Kabore get platform to fit experience English football and cut eye with Pep Guardiola.”
Kabore wey dey play for centre-back and full-back, make im debut for Burkina Faso as teenager for 2019 and bin dey named as Best Young Plater for di 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, as e play beta role wey allow di Stallions to fit reach di semi-finals.
